Trains, trees and little boys

Preparation and anticipation! Those are two words that go hand in hand in describing the Christmas Season. Last evening we got our tree platform out. As you can see, it contains the trains. One loop of O gauge on the outside and an inner loop of HO. Well, it goes without saying that there was much joy in the Rohlin household as we got all the boxes of trains out. Because we don't see the trains for nearly 11 months it is extremely exciting when they make their annual visit to the living room. For our boys, the trains are a definitive statement that Christmas is here. In fact, as we were playing with them Zachary stopped and looked up and proudly announced, "Now, it's Christmas!!"

I often encourage families to embrace the traditions that they have and if they don't have any or don't like any of them, begin some new ones. It only takes one time to begin a tradition and if you do it twice, in a kid's eyes, it is a long standing, non-negotiable event that must happen every year. So, make sure you are building great traditions that fit your season of life.

An by the way, when we go and get our tree this weekend, the boys will be a little upset because we put it in the middle of the train track.

Great Song

Here's a song we will be doing this Sunday. Take some time and worship our awesome Lord.

Give Thanks - It does you good!!

We know that the Bible strongly admonishes us to be thankful. I believe it is one of the hallmarks of a person full of faith, trust and the Love of Jesus. Today in the Warren paper there was an article that a study out of Univ. of California has once again shown the teachings of the Bible to be true. (Now there's a surprise) Here's an excerpt from the article: "Gratitude leads people to act in virtuous or more selfless ways," said DeSteno, whose research was published earlier this year in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science. "And it builds social support, which we know is tied to both physical and psychological well being." Robert Emmons, a psychology professor at the University of California, Davis, said those who offer gratitude are less envious and resentful. They sleep longer, exercise more and report a drop in blood pressure, said Emmons, who wrote "Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier.

Give thanks to the Lord today and everyday. It pleases those around you, it pleases God, and hey, it does you good. Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!

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Thankful

As our nation celebrates Thanksgiving this Thursday, it would be good of us to take some time and be thankful. I Thes. 5:16-18 says, "Be joyful always: pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." And Eph. 5:19,20 says to "speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

I have a friend that for the past ten years has every day written down 5 things that he is thankful to the Lord for. It has revolutionized his life. He told me that he has become perpetually thankful all the time. That does not mean that everything has always gone the way he would choose, but it does mean that he, with thanksgiving, trusts the Lord.

I encourage you this holiday season to make intentional strides to be a more thankful person. Not only will your life be more joyful, but so will the lives of all those you come in contact with.

Mayflower Compact

In thinking about the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday, my brother, Mike, has been teaching at the Equip 412 classes at church on the Pilgrims. As most of us know they were governed by the Mayflower Compact. It's a very short document, and what I want you to see is that a stated, primary goal of their life/journey/settlement is for the "Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith..." We truly have a great heritage.

Here is an excerpt from the Mayflower Compact:

Having undertaken, for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together into a Civil Body Politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

A Babe Ruth Original?

So, in preparing for the sermon on Sunday I was looking through some of my old baseball cards. (That statement there should make you a little curious as to what I spoke about.) I came across a set of 6 Babe Ruth cards that I have had since the mid 80's. (I seem to remember purchasing them at a little junk store in Erie) I looked them up on the internet to find out the history of the set and the value. They were a set of cards put out in 1928 by Fro-Joy Ice Cream company during "ice cream week". I have the complete set.

I saw that some of them were selling for $5000 on e-bay. Now, keep in mind that I have 6 of them. That means they could be valued at a whopping $30 Grand.

But here's the problem. There were also many, many, many fakes made of these. And obviously, mine are fakes. They are nice cards and they are pretty old, but they were not made by the Fro-Joy Cone company in 1928. I find mine selling on e-bay for 99 cents. They look very similar to the original. The only major difference is the creator. Who made the cards?

So, it is with people. Because people are made in the image of God, (Gen. 1:26,27; 9:6) we have value. We are the original. We are not cheap imitations. The world is continually bombarding us with the worthless copy idea. Convincing people that they must look and be like everyone else. That is such a lie. The only thing that makes us valuable is our Creator and the only one He wants us to be like is Him.

Please see your value as you are created in His image and as you look at others, see their value too. We are not just copies worth 99 cents. We are the real thing and we are worth Jesus' death on the cross.

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